Wednesday, March 4, 2015

The Great Gatsby fishbowl #2: chapters 3 & 4

Great start with our first fishbowl, you guys. Your questions and comments showed good critical thinking about a variety of elements from chapter 2. You also did well proofreading your work & posting polished responses.

A couple of thought's for today's discussion:
1. Use the "reply" button to let people know what question you're responding to. At times, comments seemed a bit out of place.

3. Continue to work on incorporating textual evidence into EVERY question & response. Here are a few of your classmates' terrific posts. You'll notice that each uses a quote that is clearly relevant to the question or comment, which is made clear by the way that quote is incorporated into their posts. Use this as your model moving into today's discussion.

A great question from Cory: "On page 33 Catherine Myrtle's sister is whispering to Nick the details of Tom's and Myrtle's relationship. Tom has come up with such an elaborate lie about Daisy being Catholic so he can not divorce her. How come Tom has created this big of a lie and why did he do it?A thoughtful reply from Niki: "I feel like he is showing her how much money he has, and she is using him for money, because in page 37, it says, 'Tom broke her nose with his open hand.' He is so abusive but she is not doing anything! I think Tom's money is a big part of it all."And another great comment/ question from Trent: "Well I think that Tom just knows how that business goes, because he was able to say what the sex of the dog was even though the man selling the dogs didn't know. 'Is it a boy or a girl?' she asked delicately. 'That dog? That dog's a boy.' 'It's a bitch,' said Tom decisively. But along the lines of buying her love, then yes. Why else would he really buy the dog if not for that reason?"

Why do you think Gatsby is trying to hard to impress Nick with his life stories? (pg. 65 "He looked at me sideways-and I knew why Jordan Baker had believed he was lying.") Some of the stories were too good to be true to Nick.

I think he was trying so hard to impress Nick because he wants Nick to do him the favor of setting up tea for him and Daisy. Gatsby thought that if he impressed Nick more than Nick would be more likely to help him with Daisy.

I think that Gatsby is trying to show that he is a good person. He doesn't want people to think of him in a bad way. He wants them to see him as someone who has done a lot with his life and has succeeded.

On page 66 Nick says "He reached in his pocket, and a piece of metal, slung on a ribbon, fell into my palm." while Gatsby is explaining his past accomplishments to Nick. Why do you think Gatsby came prepared with proof of his past accomplishments?

On page 65 Gatsby says "I don't want you to get the wrong idea of me from all these stories you here."I think that Gatsby knew Nick wasn't sure if all the stories about him were real and Gatsby wanted to show him what's true and false.

People are already very skeptical about what he does and how he is so rich so I feel like he think he needs to show people proof. Also, when on page 65 Gatsby kind of chokes on his words when talking about his education at Oxford, his stories are kind of shady so maybe proof is the best way for him to describe his past.

I think he came prepared with all of his proof so it wouldn't look like anything is falling through the cracks with Nick. He is so set on winning Nick over to help him that he will doing anything to do it.

"Back out," He suggested after a moment. "Pet her in reverse.""But the Wheel's Off!" page 55Why are they so confused about the wheel coming off the car? Why does F. Scott Fitzgerald describe this scene to us?

On page 41, Why was it the first time that he was invited to Gatsby's party? "I had been actually invited. A chauffeur in a uniform of robin's-egg crossed my lawn early that Saturday morning with a surprisingly formal note from his employer:"

I think when it says "Actually" in that quote, it just shows how most of the people at the party aren't invited at all and that they are just rich so it is okay for them to be there, when Nick is there because he was invited.

On the bottom of page 47 Nick says "and this man Gatsby sent over his chauffeur with an invitation". In this scene he talks about how he is one of the only people invited. I think Gatsby wants to start becoming friends with Nick. Whether it's a true friendship or if he is just trying to get closer to Daisy

I think he was invited only the first time because Gatsby was trying to get Nicks attention. After the first party Nick would go back after learning what the parties were really about. I also think he was invited because Nick is not the type to go and party so someone had to get him there.

I belive this is a clever way to get to someone. To bribe them with fun and happiness. The problem is nick is smart. He s clever to find out unlike someone else that Gatsby could be using him and he later finds out he could possibly be using him.I dont think the invitation is for friendship. He eather wants more people at the party or he knows he could use him.

At the end of chapter 3 Nick say, "Every one suspects himself of at least of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people I have every Known"(Nick Pg 59). How would nick feel if he would be used by Gatsby? and also how would he feel if Jordan lied to Nick?

"I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby’s houseI was one of the few guests who had actually been invited.People were not invited—they went there." People use Gatsby for his wealth and his house. Is his life style something to praise or something to morn. Does money buy happiness?

I guess that it depends on the person if money can buy happiness or not. But you can also go both ways with the style being something to praise or something to morn. It can be praised because he has the money and can do what he wants. But it is also something to morn on because we don't really know how Gatsby got his money. If it was inherited then it could be a morn because he really did not earn it.

At the end of chapter 4 Jordan states "She's not to know about it. Gatsby doesn't want her to know. You're just supposed to invite her to tea." while telling Nick that Gatsby wants him to invite Daisy to tea. Why do you think Gatsby does not want Daisy to know that he will be at this tea party?

On page 65 Gatsby tells nick, “I don't want you to get a wrong idea of me from all these stories you hear”, to me this sounds like nick has something to hide by the sound and nervisness in his voice. Could he be trying to cover something up that could be true?

I think that is a good interpretation of that quote. I think Gatsby knows that he chopped up on his description of his past like when on that same page nick says, "He hurried the phrase educated at Oxford, or swallowed it, or choked on it." So he says that to cover it up.

In chapter 4 Gatsby brings Nick to lunch where Nick meets Gatsby's friend Meyer Wolfsheim. On page 73 it states that Wolfsheim is the man responsible for fixing the World's Series in 1919. Why do you think that Gatsby would be friends with a criminal like this?

‘Somebody told me they thought he killed a man once.’A thrill passed over all of us. The three Mr. Mumblesbent forward and listened eagerly." In this passage the rumors of the Great Gatsby grows. Gatsby's stories become less believable. Could Gatsby creating rumors and stories to make his life seem better?

On page 73 when it talks about Wolfsheim fixing the world series, do you think it is a bad thing for Gatsby to be his friend as far as being shady goes? People are already skeptical about him, so why would this add to the skepticality.